Review: Medion P7300D desktop computer

The Akoya P7300D desktop computer, available from Aldi shops, is something of a powerhouse.

For instance, it uses an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor, which is one of the fastest you're likely to find in the shops without paying through the nose. The 'Quad' in the name indicates that it has four separate processing units (the standard processor has one, and a dual-core processor has two).

That means it can do four tasks at once, which doesn't quite equate to a four-fold increase in speed but it will mean that some things, such as picture and video editing, and games, will go a lot faster than they would otherwise.

The computer comes with 4GB of memory, which is again as much as you're likely to find in any current computer, and the same goes for the one-terabyte hard disk, providing storage for documents, music, video and everything else. One terabyte is equal to 1,000GB, which is more than enough for even a very large collection of music and video.

In order to make the best use of all that power, the computer comes with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista, which allows the computer to properly use the resources at its disposal. The reason it's not usually found on home computers is that, historically, it has been hard to get programs and devices to work with it (the standard 32-bit version of Vista is much more widely compatible).

It's true that some software and hardware still won't work with 64-bit Vista, but the number of such problems is decreasing. Most new releases will work fine, but if you are upgrading and you have old products that you want to use on the new PC, check online to make sure they'll work first.

Graphics are provided by an Nvidia Geforce 9600GT graphics card with 512MB of its own memory, which will give pretty good performance in recently released games even at high detail levels. In general, performance was impressive for all tasks.

There's also a TV tuner that can receive standard or Freeview broadcasts, and even satellite broadcasts if you have the appropriate kit in your house. Media Center software, which comes with Vista, allows the PC to be used as a video recorder. The graphics card has an HDMI output that allows it to be connected to newer flat-screen televisions for the best-quality picture.

In addition to the DVD writer there is a memory card reader, eight USB ports, Firewire, wired and wireless network connections, serial port, plenty of sound and video connections (some hidden behind a faceplate on the front panel).

An average keyboard and wireless mouse are supplied, as is a remote control for the aforementioned Media Center. The only thing missing is a monitor – as this is a base unit, you'll need to add your own or plug it into a television.

The Akoya P7300D is on sale from 27 November at Aldi shops but quantities may be limited. At £500 it is excellent value for those who are looking for more power than they'll get from the standard desktop computer.

Good points Loads of power; good games performance; versatile TV tuner; loads of storage space

Bad points Case is on the large side; not everyone will use all the power; no monitor

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